The Portland daily press., 1887-10-22
AN INCREASING MULTITUDE.
Mount Deserts Season Reviewed In
the Light OF Facts.
All Previous Records OF Arrivals and
Departures Beaten.
over Fifteen Thousand People Car
ried In by the Maine Central.

A large city is surely and rapidly growing
up on Mount Desert Island. Real
estate blooms" may come and go, but the
steadily increasing popularity Of the place,
which does not depend upon speculation ex-
cept that it is rather hurt than helped by 1t,
is encouraging steady growth and also
rapid growth. Prophecies Of what this
growth will make of Mount Desert would be
rash. A great many have been made. and
are being made constantly by people who
visit the place in the height Of the season,
and are astonished at the numbers Of persons
there, the gaieties and the profuse displays
Of wealth. The forthcoming report Of Labor
Commissioner Matthews will give many in
teresting facts concerning the numbers Of
the sojourners there this season that will
surprise the people Of Maine who have never
been to that famous resort. For gathering
these facts he has taken the season when
there Is the least interest at any Of Names
resorts, but that season which Is the very
best for making an accurate and intelligent
estimate Of what Is really taking place. The
close Of the season has enabled the hotel
keepers 10 review the seasons work and
estimate the volume Of the business done.
At this time also the transportation com
panies are beginning TO close their yearly
business, and from them can be obtained the
most important statistics that make possible
just estimate Of the growth and prospects
Of Mount Desert.
The principal transportation company is,
Of course, the Maine Central railroad. The
Maine Central railroad did not found Bar
Harbor. neither did 1t watch over the youth
Of the watering place, but unquestiOnably
during the last four seasons the great popu-
larity Of the place has been in a great
measure due to the railroad and each effort
has been followed by season Of growth on
the island. The season just passed the yes
tibule limited train was put on. II was
train that was always on time, and on which
the public always found everything as 1t had
been advertised. The other train accommo-
dations were equal. il not better, than ever
before. The result Of this Is clearly shown
in the great increase of travel to Mount
Desert. From June 10th to September 10th
Of this year, period covering the time Of
summer travel. the Maine Central railroad
carried to Mount Desert 1912 passengers !;
and it carried away 1870, making
the total arrivals and departures 3O,951,
This Is gain Of 5,779, or twen-
ty-three and four-tenths per cent
in the arrivals and departures over last
years figures. The Maine Central car
ried the most of the people who
visited the place. The steamers, Of
course, have carried considerable num-
Der more. The arrivals and departures on
the City Of Richmond have probably amount
| ed to 5000 during the season. On other lines
they have probably been as many as follows !:
By the Boston & Bangor Steamship Com
pany, 5000; by the Bangor & Bar Harbor
Steamship Company, 1000; by the Boston &
Maine Steamship Company, 1900. Some
others have come and gone in private yachts
and other conveyances, so 1t is probably not
far from correct to estimate the total num-
Der who have resorted to Mount Desert for
business on pleasure during the last season
at at least twenty thousand; probably it is
considerably larger.
This Is large increase over last year; but
the most remarkable difference Is noticed IN
comparing the number of passengers taken to
and from Mount Desert by the Maine Cen
tral during the seasons since the railroad
line was opened. In 1884, the first year the
railroad TO Mount Desert Ferry was opened,
the total number Of arrivals at Mount De-
| sert during the fashionable season was II =
| O43. In 1880 the total sprang up at a leap 10
| 1857 In 1886 1t reached "a, liz and this past
season II reached 30951. In four seasons
the arrivals and departures by railroad have
nearly trebled. The arrivals by steamer
| have not probably increased In any such
ratio, but since the railroad has been open
the steamers have probably so far held their
| own that the increase of railroad travel
marks very well the ratio Of increase Of the
| total travel to the resort
IL Is natural to ask what sort of place
| will the island. and especially Bar Harbor
beeame,if this great yearly increase Of travel
| Is TO keep in. FROM the Southwestern field
| the railway Is each season bringing greater
| number than the season previous. There is
| a prospect OF the opening of a new field by
| the completion of the Canadian Pacific to
| the foot of M0Osehead Lake This road Is
| expected to turn towards Bar HarbOr many
| OF those Canadians who have hitherto gone
| to Old Orchard and the Bay of Chaleur. But
without reckoning on this expected increase
from the Canadian Pacific traffic, there Is
| little doubt that in the course of a very few
| years the arrivals and departures from
Mount Desert will amount to $4,000 for the
| season. This will mean on the island city
OF a summer population Of 10000. This
| would be city more than half as large as
the. city OF Portland, the metropolis Of
| Maine.
| Other portions of Mount Desert, as well as
Bar Harbor, have felt the stimulating effect
| of this years travel. Northeast Harbor is a
beautiful and growing place; Southwest
Harbor Is also prospering. Mr.. Yulee, son
| of the wealthy ex-senator Yulee has gone
down to HulPs Cove. four miles from Bar
| Harbor, and built magnificent house, which
will probably draw community In that di-
| rection.
The Maine Central Is making every effort
to maintain the place in the future, at the
standard at which 1t has hitherto been kept,
as place for rest and recreation, or at least
| so exclusive that every visitor can find rest
/ and recreation ii he or she wishes to. The
/ policy OF running no excursions to the place
during the season will be maintained In the
future as In the past. Much will depend on
the people of Bar Harb0r themselves for in
suring the expansion Of the place. according
to future needs. The sewerage system Is
good; the water works will be satisfactory
| after time, no doubt. The roads about the
island are made very attractive. The same
cannot be said about all the streets Of Bar
| Harbor village The people do not, all OF
them, display that anxiety to keep their
streets and door yards neat and attractive,
/ which should be the first feeling Of a COM
munity who are bidding for the favor Of a
fashionable and particular patronage. There
has also been rather too much speculation in
| real estate going on, although this has been
well nigh inevitable. much more inevitable
than slOvenly streets and yards need be.
| Every business man knows what specula-
tive boom" IN real estate means, and when
he looks for summer home he will not nat
urally turn first to a place where he hears
lots are being bought by spectators for the
rise in value. While Bar Harbor must expe.
rience steady and normal rise In real es.
| tate, 1t can get along very well without